Cup plate 1830 - 1840

Editor: Here we have a delicate glass cup plate, made anonymously sometime between 1830 and 1840. It's so simple and ethereal, almost glowing. What do you see in this piece? Curator: Beyond its beauty, it is an object deeply intertwined with social and economic changes of the time. Cup plates emerged alongside the rising popularity of tea and coffee drinking. Affordable mass production meant that more families than ever before could acquire tableware, and decorative items such as this one. Editor: So, this little dish reflects changes in industry and society? How so? Curator: Precisely! Rather than placing cups directly onto the table, potentially damaging delicate surfaces with drips, people would use these small plates as a form of social refinement and visual display. Think about how manners were evolving, especially within a rising middle class eager to signal social status through new commodities. Editor: It’s amazing how such a modest item was part of larger social trends. What was the significance of making it out of glass? Curator: Glassware held significant status. Early American glass factories aimed to compete with imported European glass, and pressed glass techniques made objects like these widely available. It demonstrates ingenuity of American manufacturing but it’s not simply about functional use; it is about social identity. What did you notice about its decoration? Editor: The radial sunburst in the middle, along with the scalloped edge seems to invite you in, reflecting its own inner light! Curator: True! And these choices indicate wider aspirations of Americans, linking themselves with a higher culture. Everyday objects became subtle declarations of identity. Editor: I never imagined a simple cup plate could speak volumes about social dynamics and rising consumerism! Curator: Exactly! These objects illustrate the democratization of style and manners, as new social groups navigated their place within an evolving American society.